A Chinese girl dressed in Qing Dynasty attire takes photographs of another near the Forbidden city in Beijing, China, Sunday, July 21, 2024. (Photo by Vincent Thian/AP Photo)

Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

A boy rides on a snow wagon towed by a robot dressed as a Teddy bear, which only moves forward by moving its legs, during the Ice and snow carnival at Taoranting park in Beijing February 9, 2015. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Tokio Hotel fan Jennifer poses with Bill Kaulitz wax figure at Madame Tussauds on September 30, 2008 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Florian Seefried/Getty Images)

Marc Berthod of Switzerland during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men's Super Combined on February 12, 2012 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Vianney Thibaut/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)

“Maho Beach is a beach on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, in the country of Sint Maarten. It is famous for the Princess Juliana International Airport adjacent to the beach. Arriving aircraft must touch down as close as possible to the beginning of Runway 10 due to the short runway length of 2,180 metres (7,150 ft), resulting in aircraft on their final approach flying over the beach at minimal altitude”. – Wikipedia

Photo: “AirFrance Boeing 747 landing in St. Maarten”. (Photo by Aurimas)

An injured supporter of Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo reacts outside the premises of Hotel Golf, where Gbagbo is currently being held after his arrest, in Abidjan April 11, 2011. The trial of Laurent Gbagbo on charges of crimes against humanity during post-election violence, in which around 3,000 people were killed, will begin on January 28, 2016 at the International Criminal Court. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

Undated handout issued by Take A View of Sunrise at Winnats Pass, Derbyshire, England which won the Visit Britian “You're invited” Award for the best image from an overseas entrant category in this year's Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards. (Photo by Sven Mueller/PA Wire)